Construct validity of the Beck Depression Inventory in a depressive population

This study investigates the construct validity of the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) in a large population of DSM-III unipolar depressive inpatients. The BDI correlates weakly with the Hamilton scale and differentiates between minor, major and melancholic/psychotic unipolar depressive subgroups. Factor analysis of the BDI resulted in psychological/cognitive (BDIPSY) and somatic/vegetative (BDISOM) subscales. The BDISOM subscale displayed a narrower relationship with the depression construct, as evidenced by a better differential validity and by significant effects for the DST non-suppression response. The present findings generally lend support to the construct validity of the BDI in depressive populations.